JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Freshman Donnie Lewis knocked down a pair of go-ahead free throws with 1:07 on the clock to help the Spalding University (3-3, 1-1) men's basketball team win a 61-59 thriller over MacMurray College (1-5, 1-2) Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Brandon Goeing paced the Golden Eagle offense scoring a season-high 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field.

Clayton Whitlock led MacMurray with 18 points, and Kollin Williams added 10 points.

The Golden Eagles and Highlanders played to a 5-5 tie after the first seven minutes, but Spalding slowly pulled out to a 34-24 lead on a Goeing three-pointer with 2:02 left in the first. MacMurray's Whitlock hit a pair of free throws to cut SU's lead to eight just before half to make the score 38-30 at the mid-way point.  

The Highlanders scored the first four points of the second half cutting Spalding's lead to four on a Kollin Keltner jumper, but Brandon Goeing got hot scoring 10 of the Golden Eagles next 12 points to give SU a 52-40 advantage with 11:50 to play. However, Mac responded with a 7-0 run that reduced the SU lead to five points following a Keltner jumper with a shade under nine minutes left in regulation. Renaldo Moore hit 1-of-2 free throws to extend SU's lead to six points, but the Golden Eagles found themselves trailing 55-53 following an 8-0 Mac spurt. A pair of Goeing free throws knotted the score 55-55, and an exchange of three-pointers by Keltner and Goeing left game tied at 58 with 2:35 to go. Each team missed two shots and committed a turnover on their next three possessions. Freshman guard Donnie Lewis made the play of the game when he stole the ball from Mac's Hunter Sutton and drew a foul sending him to the line for a one-and-one with 1:07 on the clock, and Lewis sank both attempts giving SU a 60-58 lead. A Renaldo Moore foul on Mac's next possession sent Sutton to the line with a chance to tie, but Sutton missed his second attempt allowing SU to hold a 60-59 lead. On the following possession, Lewis committed the turnover giving MacMurray the ball down 60-59 with 12 seconds remaining, but Lewis stole the ball from Mac's Dylan Guthrie with two seconds left and hit 1-of-2 free throws to help the Golden Eagles escape with the 61-59 win.  

The Golden Eagles will be back in action Tuesday, December 16 when they host Hanover College. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. EST at Derek Smith Gymnasium.